Connector

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector having a hollow dielectric body and a removable contact and conductor. The body is so dimensioned and shaped so as to removably receive and hold a contact and the end of a conductor so that when the contact is engaged within the body, the conductor is conductively, securely retained therein. Provisions are made for in-line stacking to allow multiple connections to a single terminal or jack.

CONNECTOR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Our invention concerns an improved electrical connector which offers increased reliability and flexibility of operation while reducing complexity of assembly and manufacture. By providing a body of dielectric material having at least a limited degree of flexibility, in combination with a removable conductive contact assembly which is adapted to conductively receive the end of a conductor andwhich is operable to cooperate with the body member, upon insertion herein, with the conductive portion of the conductor in engagement with the contact to provide current conductive and secure mechanical engagement between all three of the elements. A further feature concerns the relative disposition of such elements in that the conductor is slightly offset from the longitudinal axis of the contact assembly whereby stacking of the connectors in a linear coaxial manner is facilitated. i

The shape of the dielectric body of the connector is particularly well adaptedto easy assembly and uncomplicated and inexpensive manufacturing techniques which materially contribute to a reduction in the overall costs of producing an efficient and reliable removable electrical connector for use in, for example, patchboard assemblies for computers, the testing of electrical devices, and the like.

It is a general object of our invention to provide a new and improved electrical connector.

A further object of our invention is to provide an improved electrical connector which may be easily disassembled and reassembled.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved electrical connector which is versatile in use and which provides improved mechanical and electrical stability and reliability.

These and other objects of our invention will become apparent from a consideration of the appended specification, claims, and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment showing the general relationship of several of the ele ments;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along section line 2- 2 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing a completed assembly connector.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along section line 4- 4 on FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational sketch of a pair of interconnected assembled connectors.

Referring now to the drawings, our connector is shown including a hollow dielectric body 13, a contact assembly and a conductive lead 30, in operative disposition therein.

Body 13 is shown having a longitudinally extending aperture 14 of generally tapered shape extending from a outwardly opening enlarged end to a smaller end adjacent the other end of body 13. A groove 15 of generally cylindrical shape is disposed adjacent to and opening inwardly of aperture 14 and may contain an angularly shaped inner end adjacent the smaller inner end of tapered aperture 14. The smaller end of tapered aperture 14 opens into a ramp 16, also having tapered side walls, which extends through the other end of hollow body 13 to provide a notch for cooperative engagement with the portion of a contact assembly 20 described below. Body 13 is shown having substantially continuous side walls 18 except for the openings at each end of tapered aperture 14 and groove 15.

Contact assembly'20 is provided with a pin 21 at one end and a pin receptacle 22 at its other end. In the embodiment shown, contact assembly 20 has an enlarged shoulder portion adjacent the end at receptacle 22 and a further enlarged shoulder portion'24 intermediate the ends thereof. A laterally extending'aperture 25 extends through contact assembly 20 to lie within the smaller end of body member 13 after assembly has been effected. Receptacle 22 is provided with a suitable spring portion 26 so as to slidably, conductively engage pin members from other like connectors or similar apparatus. 1

A lead 30 is illustrated in operative disposition within body member 13 and includes a centrally disposed conductor 32 surrounded by suitable insulation, indicated by reference character 31.

Body member 13 may be comprised of any suitable resilient or semi-resilient material possessing the necessary dielectric properties for a given operational condition, such material may easily be a determined and selected from those available by one skilled in the art.

OPERATION A connector 10 is disassembled by removing a contact assembly 20 by disengaging shoulder 24 from the outside of the small end of body member 13 and withdrawing the same from the interior of body member 13. A lead of suitable size is prepared by stripping the insulation adjacent one end so as to allow the insertion of a conductor through lateral aperture 25 on contact assembly 20 such that it may be deformed and compressed onto the side of contactassembly 20 adjacent lateral aperture 25 and! to allow sufficient bending of lead 30 adjacent the other end of lateral aperture 25 to allow it to assume a generally parallel position with contact assembly 20.

Contact assembly 20 is then inserted through the interior of body member 13 until pin 21 extends through the small end of body member 13 so that shoulder 24 may engage the outer periphery of ramp 16 to releasably, lockably, retain contact assembly 20 in this position in body member 13.

Under these circumstances, the end of conductor 32 is in engagement with an interior side wall 18 of body member 13 and is pushed against the periphery of the portion of contact assembly 20 adjacent this area. Further, enlarged end 23 on the other end of contact assembly 20 engages an interior side wall 18 adjacent the larger outer end of tapered aperture 14 in body member 13 for substantially its entire periphery. The remainder of enlarged end 23 is in mechanical engagement with a portion of the periphery of insulation 31 on lead 30 so as to serve to retain lead v30 within groove 15 and to afford a desirable strain relief to protect conductor 32 from forces which may be exerted upon connector 20 due to pulling, or the like, on lead 30.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical connector comprising, in combination:

a. A hollow dielectric body, said body having a tapered aperture extending therethrough, said aperture having an enlarged end extending through one end of said body and a smaller end extending through another end of said body, and an inwardly opening groove extending longitudinally of said aperture into proximity with the smaller end of said aperture;

. an elongated contact removably disposed in said aperture, said contact including means intermediate the ends thereof, for conductively engaging a conductor, disposed in said inwardly opening groove, between said last named means and a wall of the tapered aperture, said contact including a pin at one end and a receptacle for conductively engaging a pin at the other end thereof,

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which one end of the contact extends through the wall of the housing at the small end of the tapered aperture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the end of the contact assembly disposed within the housing is of larger cross section than the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the contact assembly includes a radially outwardly opening groove intermediate the end extending through the housing and the means for conductively engaging a conductor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the end of the contact assembly disposed within the housing is of larger cross section than the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the groove is in engagement with the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the body member includes a tapered ramp at the end adjacent the smaller end of the tapered aperture.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the end of the contact assembly disposed within the housing is of larger cross section than the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed.

9. In apparatus of the class above described:

a. A hollow dielectric housing having continuous side walls; a tapered aperture extending therethrough and an inwardly opening groove adjacent said aperture;

. a contact assembly having one end disposed in said aperture within said housing and another end extending outwardly of said housing, through the small end of the tapered aperture in said housing, said contact assembly having an enlarged end portion of greater cross section that the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed and a laterally extending aperture intermediate its ends, and disposed inside of said housing; and

. insulated conductor means disposed in said inwardly opening groove in engagement with the enlarged end of said contact assembly and having a conductor extending through the lateral aperture in said contact assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the end of the conductor extends substantially through the lateral aperture so that said end is disposed parallel to the side wall of the housing and a longitudinal portion of the contact assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 m which the contact assembly includes a radially outwardly opening groove intermediate the end extending through the housing and the lateral aperture therein. 

1. An electrical connector comprising, in combination: a. A hollow dielectric body, said body having a tapered aperture extending therethrough, said aperture having an enlarged end extending through one end of said body and a smaller end extending through another end of said body, and an inwardly opening groove extending longitudinally of said aperture into proximity with the smaller end of said aperture; b. an elongated contact removably disposed in said aperture, said contact including means intermediate the ends thereof, for conductively engaging a conductor, disposed in said inwardly opening groove, between said last named means and a wall of the tapered aperture, said contact including a pin at one end and a receptacle for conductively engaging a pin at the other end thereof.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in Which one end of the contact extends through the wall of the housing at the small end of the tapered aperture.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the end of the contact assembly disposed within the housing is of larger cross section than the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the contact assembly includes a radially outwardly opening groove intermediate the end extending through the housing and the means for conductively engaging a conductor.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the end of the contact assembly disposed within the housing is of larger cross section than the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the groove is in engagement with the housing.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the body member includes a tapered ramp at the end adjacent the smaller end of the tapered aperture.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the end of the contact assembly disposed within the housing is of larger cross section than the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed.
 9. In apparatus of the class above described: a. A hollow dielectric housing having continuous side walls; a tapered aperture extending therethrough and an inwardly opening groove adjacent said aperture; b. a contact assembly having one end disposed in said aperture within said housing and another end extending outwardly of said housing, through the small end of the tapered aperture in said housing, said contact assembly having an enlarged end portion of greater cross section that the portion of the tapered aperture in which it is disposed and a laterally extending aperture intermediate its ends, and disposed inside of said housing; and c. insulated conductor means disposed in said inwardly opening groove in engagement with the enlarged end of said contact assembly and having a conductor extending through the lateral aperture in said contact assembly.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the end of the conductor extends substantially through the lateral aperture so that said end is disposed parallel to the side wall of the housing and a longitudinal portion of the contact assembly.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the contact assembly includes a radially outwardly opening groove intermediate the end extending through the housing and the lateral aperture therein. 